It has officially been announced that FIFA 18 is becoming an official eSports event and will be abbreviated as eMLS. The announcement came directly from Todd Sitrin, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Competitive Gaming Division at EA. In his announcement, he stated:

“We’re honored to partner with MLS within the EA SPORTS FIFA 18 Global Series as we continue to help grow competitive gaming and soccer in North America. We engage millions of soccer fans daily through FIFA and attract many more who view our competitions around the world. With the eMLS we accelerate our growth as players compete on the road to the FIFA eWorld Cup 2018.”

Check out the official announcement video:

There are currently a total of 19 MLS clubs that are ready to participate: Chicago Fire, Colorado Rapids, Columbus Crew SC, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo, LA Galaxy, Minnesota United FC, Montreal Impact, New England Revolution, New York City FC, New York Red Bulls, Orlando City SC, Philadelphia Union, Portland Timbers, San Jose Earthquakes, Seattle Sounders FC, Sporting Kansas City, Toronto FC, and Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Each club will pursue its own process to select a player from its region to represent it in eMLS competitive play.

The first competitive games will start in August of this year. This competition will be to earn the first ever eMLS Cup. This will be where each club’s pro will have to make their way into the EA Sports FIFA 18 Global Series Playoffs, giving them a chance to be crowned the undisputed FIFA 18 World Champion at the FIFA eWorld Cup 2018!

If you are interested in learning more about eMLS, check out the official MLS website.

I love how rapidly the eSports world is really expanding to include more and more games which allow even more players, viewers, and fans to enjoy their favorite titles on a Major League Gaming level. After looking over the list of clubs, it is hard to say if I can pick out a favorite of my own without seeing them play first. Do you have a favorite team in mind? Are you more interesting in trying out for a team or watching the MLG level games live?